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' y v-J..B.` 8v 0. B. JOHNSON l Bleqtroal'RaJilroad Signal.` No.i236,336. Patented Jan. 4,1881..

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v.Electrical Railrad Signal. ,N. 236,336. l Patentedklan.4.11881.

tAfrnNfr JOHN B. JOHNSON AND ORVILLE B.V OHNSON, OF BOSTON, MASS.

ELECTRICAL RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 236,336, dated January4, 1881.

Application filed August 7, 1880, (Novmdel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN B. JOHNSON and ORVILLE B. JOHNSON, both ofBoston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain Improvements in Railway-Signals, ot' which thefollowing is a specilication.

Theinvention relates to that class of railwaysignals in which a targetor other visible signal is mechanically set7 or caused to be displayedby the wheels of a passing trainand concealed when the train in itsdeparture has reached a point at a given distance from the signal, thewheels of the train at the distant point acting to generate an electriccurrent, which is transmitted back to the point where the signal islocated, and suitable mechanism is operated to conceal the target.

The invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in themechanism for setting` the target, whereby its movement induced by theabrupt contact of a car-Wheel with a lever by the side of the track ismade gradual and moderate, so that no injury will be inliicted on thetarget orits operating mechanism by the abrupt movements of the lever.

The invention also has for its object to provide mechanism for lockingthe taget when it is set which will securely hold the target, and iscapable of being operated to release the target by a light current ofelectricity transmitted from a distant point.

To these ends our invention consists in the improvements hereinafterdescribed and claimed. l

Ot' the accompanying drawings', forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 representsl a front elevation of a signal and its accompa nyingmechanism embodying' our invention. Fig. 2 represents a side or endelevation. Fig.

' 3. represents a t-op view. Fig. 4 represents a top view Aof a portionof the target-locking mechanism. Fig. 4a represents a similar view,

tating mechanism, showing certain parts in different positions, a partot' the frame f being removed.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all theligures.

In the drawings, B represents a target or signal of the usual or anysuitable construction, the same being preferably -a circular framehaving a colored covering and located, as usual, by a railroad-track.

r represents the shaft of the target, which is journaled in a frame, A,and is adapted to rotate in both directions. The target is normally heldin a practically concealed or horizontal position, as shown by thehorizontal line in Fig. 7, by a spring, s', suitably connected to theshaft r and a fixed object, and adapted to rotate the target against astop arranged to hold the target in its horizontal position. The targetis rotated from its horizontalposition to the vertical position shown inFigs. l and 7 by the action of apassing train on a motor constructed asfollows:

In a suitable frame-Worley, isjournaled the arbor g ofa disk, c, oneside of which is provided with a series of lateral pins, c. On the arborof the disk c is rigidly ixed a ratchetwheel, d.

g represents a lever pivoted on the arbor g', and provided at one endwith a dog, p, engaging with the teeth of the ratchet, and at the otherend with a downwardly-pullin g spring, s2.

e represents a lever pivoted on the arbor g', by the side of the leverg, and adapted to move independently of the latter. The lever e isconnected,.by a rod, e, to a pedal or lever, c2, the outer end of whichis supported by a spring, and is arranged in such relation to therailroad-track as to be depressed by the Wheels of a moving trainpassing' the point Where the signal is located. The lever g has a lug,g2, projecting over and bearing loosely upon the lever e when saidlevers are in line with each other, so that when the lever e is abruptlylifted by the action ot' the car-wheels on the lever e2 it will lift thelever g and cause the pawl p to slip over one tooth of the ratchet, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 9, but when the lever e2 is left by thecar-wheels, and the connecting-rod e and lever e drop abruptly,

.dotted lines in Fig. 2, and by the dotted oval y TOO the lever g, whichis engaged with a new tooth of the ratchet, is lett, as shown in Fig.10, to be drawn down more slowly by the spring s2, thus rotating theratchet d and disk c gently in the direction indicated by arrows inFigs. 7 and 10, until the lug g2 of the lever g is stopped by the levere. This rotation of the disk cis sufficient to cause one of its pins cto engage with an arm, a, on the shaft of the target B, and rotate saidtarget gently from its concealed to its displayed position. The positionofthe arm a when the target is in its horizontal position is shown bydotted lines in Fig. 7, said arm lying in the path of the pins c', sothat when the disk c is rotated one of the pins will swing the armupwardly until such pin passes the arm and target in the position shownin full lines in Fig. 7. The independent downward movement of the leversc g preventsany violent or abrupt rotation of the target andintermediate parts, thereby obviating danger of breakage or injury. Afriction spring or brake, s, is employed to prevent the too freerotation of the disk c. Vhen the target reaches its vertical position itis locked by automatic mechanism, which is adapted to be operated tounlock the signal by the closing of an electric circuit. rThe shaft ofthe target is provided with a rigid arm, on, which swings or rotateswith the target.

The mechanism for locking the target consists ot` a horizontal lever, l,pivoted at Z3, and provided with shoulders l and Z2 near its pivot andat opposite sides thereof, and with a lug, l, at its forward end, alever, 0, pivoted at 02, and provided with a hook, o', and anelectromagnet, M, the armature of which is attached to the lever o, sothat when said magnet is eX- cited it will attract the armature andswing the lever 0 in one direction, and a spring, o3, to swing the lever0 in the opposite direction when the armature is released.

Then a train passes the point where the target is located and rotatesthe latter, by the mechanism described, to set it in a position toindicate danger#7 the arm m strikes the longer shoulder Z2 ofthe leverl, (the latter being in the position shown in Fig. 4a, and by dottedlines in Figs. 3, 4, and, 7,) and by its pressure against said shoulderswings the lever Z around until its lug l4 passes over and is caught bythe hook o', as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 7, the side of the lever l atthe same time meeting a stop, c, which prevents the further movement ot'the lever l; hence the shoulder Z2 becomes a stop to arrest the rotationof the arm m and the target. The lever l is now held, by the hook o', intheposition shown in full lines in Figs. 3, 4, and 7, and its shortershoulder Z constitutes a stop for the arm m, which prevents the targetfrom being rotated by its spring s' back 'toits concealed position. Thetarget is thus locked until the lever o is attracted by theelectro-magnet M, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the lever l beingthus released, s0 that the pressure (by the spring s) of the arm magainst the shoulder Z will cause the lever Ito swing back against astop, z', to the position shown in Fig. 4f, and by dotted lines in Figs.3, 4, and 7, thereby releasing the arm mifand allowing the spring s torotate the target back to its concealed position.

The electro-magnet M is excited to attract the armature-lever 0 by meansof a magnetogenerator, A', composed of a permanent magnet, S, and arotating armature, M U', com posed ot' a pair ot' coils onja journaledshaft, and arranged to rotate in the field of the magnet and generatemagneto-currents, as usual in generators of this class. The generator islocated by the track, at any desired distancesay a mile from the targetB-and its rotating armature is electrically connected with theelectro-magnet M, the generator being pro vided with a suitablecommutator, C, and contact-springs s* s, through which the coils of thearmature M are connected to ground and line, the latter extending fromthe commutator to the electro-magnet M. The armature M lll is rotated bya motor arranged to be operated by the wheels of the train, the bestforni of motor of which we are at present aware being a ratchet-wheel,R, located'loosely on an arbor on the frame ot' the generator, a lever,L, journaled on the same shaft and provided with a pawl, p', engagingwith the teeth ot' the ratchet R, a cog-wheel, G, rigidly attached tothe ratchet R and meshing with a pinion, F, on the shaft of the armatureM', a lever or pedal, T, pivoted at T', and arranged to be depressed atits outer end by the wheels ot' the train, and a rod, l", connecting thelever T with the lever L. Under the lever T is an upwardly-pressingspring which lifts the lever T and depresses the rod Z5, lever L, andpawl p after the depression ot' the lever T by each wheel. The motor isso arranged that a single depression of the lever T by a ear-wheelproduces a rapid rotation of the armature M.

The operation of the described mechanism is as follows: Suppose thetarget B to be in a horizontal position indicating safety and a train ofcars to be approaching the point where the signal is located. When thewheels of the train strike the lever c2 the rod c and levers e g areraised thereby, and when the rod e and lever c descend, the ratchet dand disk c are rotated by the spring s2 and ratchet p, and one of thepins of, bearing against the arm af, turns the target to its verticalposition, in which position it is automatically locked by the engagementofthe arm m with the locking mechanism, as already described. The targetnow indicates danger until the train in its departure reaches the pointwhere the magnetogenerator is located, and when said point is reachedthe wheels of the train operate the motor, and thus rotate the armatureof the generator sufficiently to cause a current of magneto-electricityto be transmitted back to the magnet M. The magnet thus excited attractsits armature and moves the hook 0',

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thereby releasing the lever l, which yields and allows the spring s torotate the target to its horizontal position, the lever Z turning on itspivot until the arm m passes the shoulder Z. When the target reaches ahorizontal position its rotation is arrested by a suitable stop. rlhetarget now indicates safety,7 and is ready for a repetition of thedescribed operation.

The combination of a magneto-generator of the class described with thetarget and mechanism for operating the saine in the manner above setforth forms the subject of a separate application for Letters Patentwhich we are about to tile, and is not therefore claimed in the presentapplication.

We iind that our locking mechanism above described is well adapted to beoperated by 1n agneto-currents, which have not the strength of the usualbattery-currents,) for the reason that said mechanism is very sensitiveand easily operated, and at the saine time is sufficiently strong tohold the target.

We claiml. The combination of the pivoted target held normally by aspring, s', in a position to indicate safety,77 a lever, e2, adapted tobe operated by the wheels of a passing train, intermediate mechanism,substantially as described, whereby a gentle rotation of the targetto aposition indicating danger is effected after a movement of the lever eby the wheels of a passing train, and automatic locking mechanism tohold the target in the lastnamed position against the force of itsspring s', as set forth.

2. The target exposing or setting mechanism, consisting of the arm aonthe shaft of the target, the rotary disk c, having pins c', the ratchetd, attached to the disk c, the pivoted lever g, carrying thedog p, thepivoted lever e, connected by a rod to a suitable pedal-lever andengaged with the lever g, so as to move the latter in one directiononly, and the spring s2, adapted to return the lever gto'place after itis moved by the lever e, whereby the target is rotated gently to itsexposed position, as Set forth.

3. In combination with the pivoted target, rotated in one direction by amotor operated by the wheels ot' a train, and in the opposite directionby a spring, s', the arm m rigidly attached to the shaft of thetarget,and the lockingmechanisin composed of the lever l, and the hookedarmature-lever 0, operated, as described, to hold and release the leverl, the latter being provided with a projection, L2, against which thearm m bears and moves the lever l to engage the same with thearmaturelever when the target is turned by its motor, and with aprojection, l', which acts as a stop for the arm m to prevent said armfrom being rotated by the spring s', as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 28th day of July, A. D.1880.

JOHN B. JOHNSON. ORVILLE B. JOHNSON.

Witnesses C. F. BROWN, MoRRls Dona.

